Anselm of Canterbury

Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109) was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109, succeeding Lanfranc and preceding Ralph d'Escures. He was known for his philosophical arguments, including his ontological argument for God's existence.

Biography
Anselm of Canterbury was born in Aosta, Holy Roman Empire in 1033, coming from a dispossessed family of nobles. At age 23, he left home with a single attendant, crossed the Alps, and wandered through Burgundy and France for three years. He entered an abbey as a novice at the age of 27, and, in 1063, Duke William the Conqueror summoned the Abbot of Bec, Lanfranc, to serve him, leading to Anselm succeeding him. While at Bec, Anselm became one of the founders of scholasticism, originating the ontological argument for God's existence by claiming that "God is that than which nothing greater can be thought," meaning that he exists in every mind, even in those of nonbelievers. In 1093, he was made Archbishop of Canterbury by King William II of England on the conditions that William return lands seized from the Catholic Church. He defended the Church's interests in England during the Investiture Controversy, and he was exiled from 1097 to 1100 and from 1105 to 1107. While in exile, he helped guide the Greek bishops of southern Italy in adopting Roman rites. He died in Canterbury in 1109.